Railway safety switch



I M. BRITTAIN.

RAILWAY SAFETY SWITCH:

APPLICAUON HLED Has; 20, 1922.

Patented May 23, 1922.

s S a N w W tll till'fiil OF ONE-HALF TO GEORGE W.

ALLAN, OF DENVER, COLORADO.

RAILWAY SAFETY SWITCH.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented llfay 23, 1922.

Application filed February 20, 1922. Serial No. 537,949.

To aZZ 10 item it may concern Be it known that I, Isaac M. Bnrrram, a citizen of the United States, residing at the city and county of Denver and State of Colorado, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Railway Safety Switches, of which the following is a complete specification. I

This invention relates to railway safety switches and particularly embodies improvements in safety catches or looking devices for positively holding the switch points i1n movable when thrown to their desired reversely set positions.

The primary object of the invention has been .to devise a substantially improvedand simple safety attachment of the character set forth, which is not only durable and thoroughly reliable for effective action, but which is also comparatively inexpensive to manufacture and install, little liable to get out of order when so installed either as to its minimum working parts or weather conditions, and an attachment which, when the switch is initially actuated from the switch stand or otherwise, is at once set to automatically operate imn'iediately upon the switch being fully thrown to securely hold the proper switch point against accidental displacement, in proper association with its complementary rail, when the switch is thrown to the desired position and until it is again released for throwing back to its reverse position.

The foregoing as well as other objectsand advantages of the improvements, however, will be so clearly apparent as incidental to the following disclosure that it would serve no useful purpose to further enlarge upon the same initially, and with these prefacing remarks, therefore, reference will now be immediately had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this description and illustrating a practical embodiment of the improvements, in which drawings- Figure l is a cross-sectional view taken on the line 22 of Figure 3, but with the switch thrown and locked in a position the reverse of that shown in Figure 3; Figure 2 isa cross-sectional view also taken on the line 2-2 of Figure 3, but with the locking pin elevated preparatory to throwing the switch from the position shown at Figure 3 to the position shown at Figure 1; and Figure 3 is a plan view of theswitch in locked posi- 18 having a peripheral pair of tion as operatively associated with its main line rails.

The numeral. 5 designates one of the rail supporting ties, which particular tie is generally somewhat longer than the other ties and extends substantially beyond the trackage when it is utilized as the foundation support for mounting the switch stand and its equipment.

Looking towards the forward end of the switch, or in the direction opposite to the arrows 2 of Fig. 3, and letting the numeral 6 indicate the rlght or outer stock rail of the divergent or switch line track, then '7 will designate the movable split rail, providing the exteriorly beveled switch point 8, which is pivotally mounted at its rear end in continuity of the innerhstock rail (not shown) of thedivergent line track, while 9 designates the other movable split rail of the pair, having the exteriorly beveled switch point 1 0, that. is analogously pivoted at its rear end in continuity of the inner rail (not shown) of the main line track, of which atter 11 represents the left or outer rail.

The forward ends of the pivoted split rails are securely strapped together in prep er spaced relation by means of the coupling bar 12, bolted or otherwise fast thereto, which coupling. bar or head rod 12 projects laterally underneath and substantially beyond the outer rail 6, in proximity to the long tie 5, where it is connected by a bolt or coupling pin 13 to one end of a coupling rod or link 14, the other end of which latter is pivotally connected at 15 to a swinging base arm 16 of the rotary post 17 of the switch stand, Although obviously it is not the only leverage system for throwing the switch .with which my invention may be employed, the particular type of switch stand illustrated provides a horizontal segment plate notches 19-2O which are proportionately spaced relatively to the throw of the switch points and I are adapted to receive a hinged handle 23 of the operating arm 22 for the rotary post 17, which, is coupled to the switch points and mounts the signal disk 21. These notches 19 -20 may provide apertured lugs (not shown) to permit of the locking of the hinged handle 23 within the notches, as by means ofa padlock, but all of the foregoing features are simply an illustration and description ,of a well known structure, and

form no special part of my present improvements.

In carrying out my invention, there is employed a retaining latch block element or member 25 of a suitable design that is preferably secured to a stock rail, as by bolts 24, in aligned association with the head bar 12 of the switch points, the said retaining block providing an enlarged underhung base that is laterally apertured to form a horizontal housing channel or guideway 26 for the passage therethrough of the outer end portion of the head rod 12 in sliding relation. The top and bottom horizontal walls of this retaining block are vertically bored in alignment as at 27 and 28, the upper bore having a countersinking recess, while the outer end portion of the head rod 12 provides a pair of apertures 29 and 30, proportionately spaced apart relatively to the exact distance of lateral swing of the switch points, and which apertures 29 and 30 are adapted to be alternately brought into registration with the vertical bores 27 and 28 of the retaining block.

31 designates a lockin pin which is provided with a weighting head 32 and an intermediate reduced shoulder or neck 33 adapted to seat in said countersinking recess with said pin portion operating in said openings 2728 and through said head bar apertures 29-30, whichever of the latter is then in registration with the bores 27-28.

The locking pin drops by gravity and may be elevated out of association with said apertures 29-'-3O by means of a horizontally mounted rotary shaft 34 having an actuating arm at one end, such as the pedal extension 35 forwardly disposed adjacent the switch stand, and provided at'its other end with a rearwardly disposed arm 36 in engagement with the locking pin arrangement, which arm 36 may project freely within a lateral. aperture through the head 32 thereof as a matter of simple expediency.

It is believed that the operation of the improvements will be fairly apparent from the drawings and the foregoing description, but

may be further briefly stated as follows .With the parts in the position illustrated at Fig. 3, in order to reverse the position of the switch, the switchman may simultaneously or separately operate the pedal v arm 35 to elevate the locking pin 31 and also raise the hinged arm 23 to the horizontal position for turning the switch stand post 17 and hence operating the switch. During this movement the lower end of the locking pin 31 is initially set to ride upon thetop face of the head bar 12, and at the s end of the stroke automatically drops into thatone of the apertures 29--30 which is paired with the aperture from which it has just previously been withdrawn, or in this particular instance it will drop into the aperture 29 and positively lock the switch in the position shown at Figure 1. Obviously to reverse the position of the switch the same operation is performed in the opposite direction.

It follows, therefore, that if the switch is once thrown to either of its extreme positions it will then be immediately locked, and held locked against displacement until properly reset, independently of its switrh stand or connections therewith. This advantage is apparent, as it is understood that not infrequently a switch stand has been disrupted or broken down by a falling door or other heavy articles from a passing freight train, for instance, or that the connecting pin 13 has been broken or wrenched off, and either of such accidental occurrences would allow the switch to open up and thus cause the derailment and probable wreck ing of the train.

It is believed that the full advantages of the improvements will be quite apparent, especially to railroad men, but while I have thus fully disclosed the same, it is to be understood that I do not wish to be unnecessarily restricted to all of the details exactly as disclosed, excepting as they may come within the terms of the ensuing claims, or equivalently combined elements, and as fairly interpreted in the light of the specification if necessary, as various minor alterations -might be made in future practice without departing from the spirit of the invention.

lVhat I do claim as new and patentable 1. In looking devices for railway-switches providing a switch point head bar that projects laterally beyond the track and means for actuating the same in reverse directions, the combination of a retaining blocksuitably formed for snug attachment to a fixed rail of the track in direct operative association with the projecting end of said head bar, and coacting means between said retaining block and the projecting end of said head bar which is set, upon starting to throw the switch in either direction, and automatically operates to immediately lock said head bar at the end of each reverse actuation thereof.

2. In looking devices for railway switchesproviding a switch point head bar that projects laterally beyond the track and means for actuating the same in reverse directions, the combination of a suitably secured retaining block mounted in line with said head bar and providing a guiding channel therethrough for the projecting end of said head bar, the said retaining block having a pair of aligning bores opening to said channel and the projecting end of said head bar having a pair of apertures adapted for registration with said aligning bores, a locking pin13 0 freely mounted in one of said bores and adapted to be operated through one of said bar apertures and into said other bore, means for automatically causing the actuation of said locking pin immediately at the end of each reverse actuation of said head bar, and means for withdrawing said locking pin as desired.

3. In locking devices for railway switches providing a switch point head bar that projects laterally beyond the track and means for actuating the same in reverse directions, the combination of a retaining block suitably formed for snug attachment to a fixed rail of the track over the projecting end of said head bar, which said block has an underhung enlarged base providing a guiding channel therethrough, for the projecting end of said head bar, and further providing an upper and a lower aligning bore opening to said channel, and the projecting end of said head bar having a pair of apertures adapted for registration with said aligning bores, a head weighted locking pin freely mounted in said upper bore and adapted to gravitate through one of said bar apertures and into said lower bore immediately at the end of each reverse actuation of said head bar, and means for withdrawing said locking pin as desired.

4. In looking devices for railway switches which are associated with a switch stand and connections for actuating the switch in re verse directions from said switch stand, of a bar secured to said switch and projecting laterally beyond the track, a suitably secured retaining block mounted in line with said bar and providing a guiding channel. therethrough for the projecting end of said bar and further providing an upper and a lower aligning bore opening to said chair nel, and the projecting end of said bar having a pair of apertures adapted for registration with said aligning bores a locking pin freely mounted in said upper bore with means for operating same through one of said bar apertures and into said lower bore immediately at the end of each reverse actuation of said bar, and leverage means disposed above said bores and in connection at one end with said locking pin for withdrawing the latter as desired.

5. In locking devices for railway switches providing a switch point head bar that projects laterally beyond the track, a switch stand and coupling connections between said switch stand and. said head bar the combination of a retaining block suitably formed for snug attachment to a fixed rail of the track over the projecting end of said head bar, which said block has an underhung enlarged base providing a guiding channel therethrough, for the projecting end of said head bar, and further providing an upper and a lower aligning bore opening to said channel, and the projecting end of said head bar having a pair of apertures adapted for registration with said aligning bores, a head weighted locking pin freely mounted in said upper bore and adapted to gravitate through one of said bar apertures and into said lower bore immediately at the end of each reverse actuation of said head bar, and leverage means disposed above said bores, for withdrawing said locking pin as (lesired com prising a rotary pedal arm engaging said locking pin.

In testimony whereof I Hill my signature.

ISAAC M. BRITTAIN. 

